Removable and replaceable handle



Aug- 26, 1952 E. H. `suEsslQl/Ju 2,608,077

REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLE HANDLE FOR CROCHET NEEDLES Filed Dec. 5l, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Aug., 26, 1952 E. H. sUEssMAN 2,608,077

REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLE HANDLE FOR CROCHET NEEDLES F11-ed Deo. s1, 1949 2 sHEETs-sHEETz Patented Aug. 26, 1952 REMDVABLE AND REPLACEABLE HANDLE FOR CROCHET NEEDLES y Ernest Herbert Suessman, East Hartford, Conn.,

assigner to C. J. Bates & Son, Chester, Conn.,

a partnership Application December 3l, 1949, Serial No. 136,267

9 Claims.

The invention relates in general to crocheting and relates more particularly to means designed and adapted to expedite and facilitate the manipulation of crochetI needles or hooks taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

(Cl. (i6-113) 2 Fig. 5 is a view similar to 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detached plan view of a conventional type crochet needle, as used in the arrangement shown in Fig. l;

Fig. i taken on line while adding to the comfort and convenience oi 5 the crochet worker. Fig. '7 is a side elevational View of the needle e A principal object of the invention is'the prodepicted in Fig. 6; vision of a removable and replaceable .handle for Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the removable crochet needles adapted to accommodate practihandle, with portions broken away Vfor clarity of cally any conventional type of chochet needle, m illustration; Y i while aording convenient gripping-means for Fig. 9 is-a View similar to Fig. 2 and showing the needle and itsv immediate withdrawal when a modified form ofthe invention; desired. Fig. 10 is a side elevationalgview, similar to Another object of the invention is tok provide Fig. 3, of the embodiment shown in Fig. 9; a removable handle for crochet needles, ci a Fig. l1 is an enlarged transverse, fragmentary, pleasing conguration, and having means to acsectional view taken on line Il-Il of Fig. l0; commodate the crochet needle to the most con- Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. ll taken on venient position while preventing orientation line l2-I2 of Fig. 10; and i 0f the hook during the process of crocheting. Fig. 13 is a' perspective view of the modified Another object of the invention is to .provide form oi replaceable handle. a gripping crochet-holder suitably recessed to accommodate a crochet needle toa predeter- T'w Showing of Figs' 1 to 8 mined position and havingconvenient gripping- In the drawings depicting the iirst form of iingers to maintain the needle in thebest o pthe invention and wherein similar characters ci erating position. reference indicate corresponding parts in the Another object of the invention is to provide several views of the present form oirinvention, a replaceable handle for crochet needles that the numeral 2c designates generally a crochet will serve as a convenient receptacle or sheath needle or hook of conventional type, and having 'for the crochet needle when not in use, 'in addithe customary hook 2 I, a cylindrical shank or tion to its normal function-of facilitating crochet body-portion 22, and a nger-gripping flat 23 work when employed. of customary flared conguration, as viewed in A further object is to provide, as an article of Fig. 6, and adapted to serve in combination with manufacture, a combi-nation gripping-handle the holder of the present invention, as an abuta'nd sheath for crochet-needles. ment to restrict the location of the needle with- Other objects and advantagesv will appear to in the holder to a desired position. those` skilled in the artfrointhe following, con- The crochet holder of .this invention, desigsidered in conjunctionwiththe .accompanying nated generally at 24, comprises a body-portion drawings. f r25 of a somewhat ovalconguration, as viewed The invention is-adapted. for usewithconvenin cross section (Fig. 5), and tapering from the tional typecrochet rneedles-.arid is designed to right-hand side, as seen in Fig. 2, divergingly afford a more convenient lgripping control over toward and to approximately the dotted line 2t the crochet needle and providesacomparatively (indicating the bottom of the bifurcation) where small, pleasingly configured Areceptacle vfor the it merges with a pair oi integrally-formed, recrochet needle when not in use. silient gripping-fingers or lips 27, 28 that may In the accompanying drawings, inwhich cerbe said to form a mouth portion oi the holder. tain modes of carrying .out .the present Ainven- As shown in Fig. 3, it will be noted that each tion are shown for illustrative purposes: of the fingers 2l, 28 is formed with an outer con- Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview of Zone embodicavity, as at 29, for a purpose that will appear ment ofthe inventionV as operativelyapplied to hereinafter. The body-portion 25 oi `the handle a crochet needle; Y 2d is formed, with a passageway or bore Bil, of Fig. 2 is a plan view voi the device with a 50 diameter suitable to snugly receive the cylincrochet needle varrangedr in normaly operating drical shank 22 of the crochet needle 29. As best position; e shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it will be observed that Fig. 3 is aside velevati@nal view ofthe 3 arwhen the bore Sil accommodates the shank of rangement shown in.-,Fig. 2; the needle, .thel enlarged flatportion 23 of` the Fig. 4 is ,an enlarged v.tresjrsver'se sectional view, 55. hoolr upon itsinitial entrance into the bore 3E tov a point slightly' beyond the bottom of the bifurcation (dotted line 26 of Fig. 2) will begin to wedgingly engage the adjacent inner surface of the said bore and thus serve with the latter as an abutment to preventl further movement of the shank of the hook in a direction from left to right, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3.

Further inspection of Fig. 3 will disclose that the gripping-fingers 21, 28 on their inner opposed surfaces have a convex configuration, as at 3l. These inwardly-bulging or convex portions of the gripping-fingers serve to clampingly engage the opposite fiattened sides of the flat 23 of the hook 20 and prevent its turning while providing a comfortable resting and clasping position for the fingers of the crochet worker.

In manufacture, the deviceis preferably formed v or composed of a single portion of material such as methylmethacrylate, cellulose-acetate, ureaformaldehyde, phenol-formaldehyde, etc. It is to be understood that the material selected in this form of the invention is preferably resilient or elastic, in order to clampingly accommodate the fiat 23 of the crochet needle. The clamping pressure, of course, may be supplemented yby the fingers of the crochet worker, and in all cases it will be understood that thecrochet needle, by its clamping retention to the holder, is prevented against turning or undesired longitudinal movement during crochet work. The actual configuration disclosed is designed to be pleasing to the eye, and, at the same time, to adapt itself conveniently to the best manipulating position of the average crochet workers hand.

The functioning of the device and its mode of use has been, in large measure, indicated above by the foregoing description., The crochet needle is introduced with the cylindrical-body-portion of the needle, initially thrust through the gripping-fingers 21, 28, and thence through the elongated bore 30 of the body-portion of the handle to a point where the flat 23 will commence to wedgingly abut against the beginning of the said bore 30, as described above and as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The flat 23, of necessity, will practically self-orient itself into a position where the opposite sides of the said flat are in contact with the convex inner opposed surfaces 3| of the gripping-fingers 21, 28. The device is now ready for application to crocheting work.

The showing of Figs. 9 to 13 inclusive In the modified form, a slightly different design and construction is employed. In the figures depicting this form, the numeral 40 designates generally a holder conforming to the precepts ofV the invention. The holder 40, which has a tapering configuration, comprises two comparativelythin fiat strips of flexible material 4I, 42 such as leather, rubberized composition, fabric, etc., placed in opposed juxtaposition and having their outer longitudinal edges bound together approximately two-thirds of their length by a pair of binder-strips 43, 44 of suitable metal or alloy. This construction affords flexible gripping-ngers or flaps at the forward end of the holder, and a restricted opening at the narrow end of the taper through which the butt end of the needle is protruded.

rThe binder-strips 43, 44 are U-shaped when viewed in cross section (Fig. 12), and of a longitudinally-tapering configuration, as seen in plan (Fig. 9), each strip having a pair of opposed longitudinally-extending flanges, as at 45, pressed into clampingr engagement with the outer adja-` cent pair of aligned edges of the opposed fiexible 4 strips 4I, 42, thereby anchoring the latter in the position shown.

The shape and disposition of the flexible strips 4|, 42 provide a comparatively-narrow tapering and elongated passageway or bore, as at 46, serving to clampingly accommodate the shank 22 of a crochet needle and permit its partial egress from the right-hand extremity of the holder. By reason of the iiexible nature of the strips 40, 4l, in the present instance the fiat enlarged portion 23 of the crochet needle. it will be found, will not be stopped abruptly, asin the case of the positive abutment-means afforded in the first form of the invention, but, by reason of the taper, will move inwardly with increasing resistance to a predetermined limiting or stop position. However, the instant form lends itself to a somewhat increased latitude in the actual dispositioning of the needle relatively to the holder, and in all cases, the needle may be moved to a position which the worker finds most convenient to his individual taste. Here, again, the holder serves the purpose not only to expedite and facilitate the crocheting, but also as a sheath or receptacle to store the crochet needle when not in use.

It will be evident that in the present, as in the first, form of the invention, the cost of manufacture of the item is approximately nominal, and that it is particularly adapted for quantity production and distribution to the trade.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A removable handle for use with a crochet needle having in its shank an intermediate flattened portion, said handle comprising a bodyportion having a bore extending longitudinally thereof, and two opposed flat resilient clampingportions at one end of said body-portion, said clamping-portions having confronting convexlyconfigured surfaces adapted to engage the op- -posite surfaces, respectively of the fiattened portion of the needle-shank.

2. A combination operating-handle and sheath for use with a crochet needle, comprising a pair of comparatively-thin flat strips arranged in opposed juxtaposition, means so binding superposed lengths including adjacent ends of the outer edges of said flexible strips to each other that the corresponding strip lengths define between the bound Vedges thereof a substantiallyfiat tapering through-passage adapted to accommodate the shank of a crochet needle, the remaining lengths of said strips forming opposed flexible lips which are wider than the passageforming strip lengths and serve as a handle with which to grip the shank of a crochet needle.

3. A combination operating-handle and sheath for use with a crochet needle, comprising a pair of fiexible tapered strips arranged in opposed juxtaposition, channel-elements straddling and clamping superposed lengths including the narrower spaced ends of the opposite edges, respectively, of said flexible strips so that the corresponding strip lengths define between the clamped edges thereof a. substantially-flat tapering through-passage adapted to accommodate the shank of a crochet needle, the remaining lengths of said strips forming opposed exible lips serving as a handle with which to grip the shank of a crochet needle.

4. A combination operating-handle and sheath for use with a crochet needle, comprising a bodyportion of tapering configuration, a pair of resilient ngers formed integrally with and extending longitudinally from the body-portion, said fingers having outer concave gripping-surfaces and inner bulging convex surfaces, said convex surfaces being effective to receive and clampingly engage a ilattened portion on a conventional crochet needle. and said body-portion having a longitudinally-extending bore therein communieating with a gap between said elastic fingers.

5. An operating-handle for a crochet needle having a hook at one end of its shank, said handle comprising a sheath having a tubular body-portion adapted axially to receive a length of the needle-shank remote from the hook thereon with a sliding fit. and an end-portion providing opposite lips ilexible into engagement with, and being of substantially greater width than, the needle-shank.

6. An operating-handle for a crochet needle having a iiat in an intermediate length of its shank, said handle comprising a sheath having a tubular portion adapted axially to receive at least a length of the needle-shank on one side of the flat therein with a sliding fit, and an end-portion providing opposite lips ilexible into engagement with. and being of substantiallygreater width than, the flat in the needle-shank.

7. An operating-handle for a crochet needle having a at in an intermediate length of its substantially cylindrical shank, said handle comprising a sheath having a tubular portion adapted axially to receive at least a length of the needle-shank on one side of the flat therein with a sliding t, and an end-portion providing opposite fiat lips flexible into engagement with,

6 and being of substantially-greater the iiat in the needle-shank.

8. An operating-handle for a crochet needle having a iiat in an intermediate length of its shank. said handle comprising a sheath having a tubular portion adapted axially to receive at least a length of the needle-shank on one side of the flat therein With a sliding fit, and a mouthportion continuous with said tubular portion and providing separate opposite lips iiexible into engagement with, and being of substantiallygreater Width than, the flat in the shank, said tubular portion being of less Width than said mouth-portion.

9. An operating-handle for a crochet needle having a llat in an intermediate length of its shank, said handle comprising a sheath having a tubular portion adapted axially to receive at least a length of the needle-shank on one side of the i'lat therein with a sliding fit, and a mouthportion integral and continuous with said tubular portion and providing separate opposite iiat lips normally flexing into engagement with, and being of substantially-greater width than, the flat in the shank.

ERNEST HERBERT SUESSMAN.

width than,

REFERENCES YCITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,355,878 Akin Oct. 19, 1920 1,502,584 Perry July 22, 1924 FOREIGNA PATENTS Number Country Date 21,774 Great Britain of 1900 140,301 Germany June 26, 1902 693,156 France Nov. 17. 1930 

